A snowy storm system, which blanketed the Rockies with up to 28 inches of snow Thursday and Friday, will sweep through the Plains and Midwest this weekend as millions of Americans return home from their Thanksgiving holiday.
Winter weather alerts, affecting over 8 million people, are in effect from the northern Texas Panhandle into northwest Illinois, where several inches of snow are possible into Sunday morning. And lighter snows could expand to the north and northeast Sunday and Sunday night.
Wichita and Topeka in Kansas; Kansas City, Mo.; Chicago; and Milwaukee and Madison in Wisconsin all could experience accumulating snow and some travel disruptions through Sunday night.
Areas affected and predicted snowfall
The heaviest snow is forecast in central Kansas, where 4 to 8 inches could fall. Wichita and Topeka are both under winter storm warnings where “travel will be difficult” according to the National Weather Service. Much of the snow is expected Saturday and Saturday night before sunny skies return Sunday.
Snow will streak into northern Missouri late Saturday and continue into Sunday morning. Winter weather advisories cover this area, including Kansas City, which is expecting its first accumulating snow of the season. The forecast is for 1 to 4 inches.
“Prime time for accumulating light snow looks to be between around 5 pm this afternoon and 3 am Sunday morning,” the Weather Service office serving Kansas City wrote early Saturday.
Early Sunday morning, the snow will spread over northern Illinois, Wisconsin and western Michigan. The storm system should weaken somewhat as it progresses to the Northeast, so mainly light snow is forecast in this area. Generally, snowfall of about 1 to 3 inches is probable with the heaviest amounts in northwest Illinois.
Toward Chicago, and Milwaukee and Madison, Wisc., just about an inch of snow is forecast, mostly falling Sunday morning. The Weather Service office serving Chicago wrote that the snow could create “some minor travel impacts through mid-morning Sunday.”
Into west-central Michigan along Lake Michigan, a narrow zone of heavier snow is possible, where about 2 to 4 inches could fall Sunday and Sunday night.
Sunday night into Monday, some snow will sweep toward the interior Northeast while rain develops in eastern New England. Several inches of snow could fall in the high elevations and areas downwind of Lake Erie in western New York and northwest Pennsylvania.
The storm’s heaviest snow fell in Wyoming on Thursday and Friday, with 22 to 28 inches in Lander, a city of about 7,500 residents in the middle of the state approximately midway between Casper and Jackson.
Accumulating snow also has fallen in Montana, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, western Kansas and the Texas Panhandle. Here are some selected totals:
- Riverton, Wyo.: 18 inches
- Casper, Wyo.: 11 inches
- Taos, N.M.: 9 inches
- Cheyenne, Wyo.: 9 inches
- Snowbird and Alta, Utah: 8 inches
- Twin Falls, Idaho.: 8 inches
- Pocatello, Idaho.: 7 inches
- Eldora Ski Area, Colo.: 6 inches
- Park City, Utah: 6 inches
- Boulder, Colo: 5 inches
- Sheridan, Wyo: 4 inches
- Dalhart, Tex.: 3.5 inches
- Salt Lake City: 3 inches
- Oberlin, Kan.: 1.5 inches
- Denver: 1 inch
